The vignette is very popular in classic French interior design. The grouping together of treasured items to form a picture is a wonderful way of showing the character of both home and owner. Unfortunately it is not used sufficiently in holiday homes. Here at Domaine des Faures we believe in creating vignettes and our guests say it gives them a very welcoming and homely feel when they arrive.

The historic homes in the Dordogne are beautiful. The stone has mellowed to a soft colour and the lauze roofs add to the wonderful way they blend into the countryside enhancing and not detracting from all that nature has to offer. The lack of uniformity in design reveals the history of the building and how it has developed over the years. The greenery of the trees and hedging are punctuated with colour from the roses and geraniums that do so well here. This area is a beautiful part of the world to enjoy a holiday with family and friends.

The Dordogne is full of architectural and decorative finds. Wander down the small alleys and you can see creative door bells and elaborate ironwork. The balconies, street lights and window guards are really beautiful. The name of our estate ‘Les Faures’ is said to come from the occitane language meaning ‘forge’.

Visiting the Dordogne in the spring or autumn is an excellent idea if you are in search of an active and cultural holiday. There are less tourists than in the busy summer period. The roads are perfect for cycling and the countryside is woven with You also you have the space and leisure to look at all the wonderful signs that adorn the boutique style shops.

The Dordogne river has long been used as a means of transport and communication.Old Bordeaux was built on the site of the ancient Gallo-Roman port and amphora, once used for wine have been uncovered in Bergerac.

The gabarres were the traditional flat-bottomed boats used on the Dordogne. on the Upper Dordogne the gabarres were used for transporting wood from the forests. The middle section of the river would transport oak,chestnut,cheese and wine and return with salt, wheat and salted fish from the Lower Dordogne.

Now they provide a wonderful way for tourists to view the Dordogne valley from the river.

Not too far from here is the picturesque village of Cadouin with its beautiful abbey. Opposite is the friendly restaurant named L’Abbaye de Cadouin where guests are assured of a warm welcome. In summer it is a delightful spot to wile away an evening in the shadow of the church or enjoy a lunch after visiting the cloister.

The Dordogne enjoys a lovely climate and much of our time is spent outdoors. However we do usually have a cold snap during the winter months and it seems that the next few days may well be chilly. The countryside and gardens always look beautiful covered in frost and if we have a fine covering of snow the peacefulness of Les Faures seems even more intense. To walk across the fields is a delight.

In the nearby village of Beaumont-du-Perigord there is the most fascinating ‘quincaillerie’. It invites the visitor to step back in time when such hardware shops were a part of country life and where people could find all the necessary paraphernalia from brass tacks to rat traps,cleaning products to fishing gear, paints to firewood baskets.

Recently I read about the ‘droguerie’ which is similar in that it was full of bits and pieces but they were geared towards cleaning, either the house,farm or person and used to have some medicines. Now with the requirement to sell medications through pharmacies they no longer exist and have mutated into general hardware stores.

As you leave Bergerac airport in the Dordogne for arrival at our self-catering holiday manor you will see a glorious chateau perched on a hill-top. This is Chateau Monbazillac famed for its sweet wine that is delicious accompanying both pates and desserts. The greatest virtue of the terroir surrounding the chateau is its predisposition to ‘noble rot’. The tasting room is definitely worth a visit!

The Monbazillac cooperative has renovated several rooms for viewing within the chateau and provides a permanent setting for exhibiting current artists’ works so that it also provides for a very interesting half-day trip.